Electric air circulating oil well heater



Nov. 21, 1950 J. s. YOUNG ELECTRIC AIR CIRCULATING OIL WELL HEATER FiledFeb. 17, 1950 IlIIIllIIIlIllllllilllilllllllnlllllll! Patented Nov. 2l,i956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC AIR CIRCULATING OIL WELLHEATER 2 Claims.

r1"his invention relates to an oil well heater designed and intended forclearing of oil Well of paraffin and other analogous congealedconstituents of petroleum that may have accumulated around the bottom ofthe Well to such an extent as to partially retard or entirely stop theflow of oil to the pumping apparatus employed for removing the oil fromthe well.

Important objects and advantages of the invention are to provide aheater of the character described, which will function effectively toquickly liquefy any congealed constituents of petroleum that may haveaccumulated around the bottom of the oil well, by means of forcing andcirculating heated air into and through such accumulations, and therebyreestablish and increase the oil production of the Well, which is simplein its construction and arrangement, compact, durable and efficient inits use, and comparatively economical in its manufacture, in- .f

stallation, operation, and maintenance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts herein specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood thatchanges in the form, proportions and details of construction may beresorted to that come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a well heater constructed inaccordance with the invention, and illustrating the position of theheater within a well.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the heater with the casing beingin cross section.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional View of the heatel` taken online 3 3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the power mechanisms at the top ofthe well, for supplying the required electrical energy and air foroperating the heater.

Referring in detail to the drawing the improved well heater comprises anelongated cylindrical casing I, which has its interior wall face formedwith screw threads 2 extending throughout the length thereof.

A top plug 3 is threadedly engaged in and closes the upper end of thecasing I, and a similar bottom plug 4 is threadedly engaged in andcloses the lower end of the casing. A partition plug 5 is threadedlyengaged in the casing and lil is disposed adjacent to the top plug 3 tothereby provide a comparatively large air chamber 6 below the partitionplug, and a smaller compartment 'I above said partition plug.

The improved heater is intended to be secured, in the vertical position,to the lower threaded end portion B of the pump tubing 9, whereby theheater will be located at the bottom of the oil well I0. The tubing endportion 8 extends through the casing I, and is threadedly engaged ineach of the plugs 3, 4 and 5, and carries the pumping barrel II at thelower projecting end thereof. The tubing end portion 8 is ecoentrioallyoiset in the casing I to provide space and clearance within the latterfor other embodied elements of the device. The plugs 3, 4 and 5 may beadjusted in the casing, prior to the engagement of the tubing endportion 8 therein, and may be secured in the adjusted positions by locknuts I2 on the tubing end portion 8.

The lower portion of an air supply pipe I3 is threadedly engaged in thetop plug 3 and in the partition plug 5, amd' projects into the airchamber 6 of the casing I. The lower end of the air supply pipe I3 isdisposed in close proximity to the bottom plug 4 and is curved toprovide a laterally disposed outlet opening I4 in the air chamber 6.

The air supply pipe I3 extends parallel to the pump tubing 9 in the wellI0, and has its upper end connected with a suitable air compressor I5,at the top of the well. An air discharge pipe I6 secured in the verticalposition in the bottom plug 4, and has its inlet port 22 disposed in theair chamber 6 in proximity to the partition plug 5. The lower portion ofthe discharge pipe projectsfrom the casing IA and is provided with acurved lower outlet end Il, which is disposed adjacent to the lower endof the pumping barrel I I.

A plurality of electrically energized air heating elements I8 aremounted in the air chamber 6 of the casing I. The heating elements aredisposed vertically in parallel spaced relation to each other, and havetheir ends xed in respective bottom and partition plugs 4 and 5. Anelectrical conductor I9 extends from the casing I, through the well ID,to a suitable electric generator 2D at the top of the well. Electricalleads 2I connect the conductor I9 with respective heating elements I8,and are housed in the leakproof compartment I at the upper end of thecasing I.

The improved well heater is preferably designed and intended to bepermanently located at the bottom of the well I0, and is, of course,connected with the lower endv of the pump tubing 9 when the latter isplaced in the well in the ber through the outlet opening I4 at the lowerend of the air chamber, and will be circulated and heated in the latter,and will enter the discharge pipe I6 through the inlet opening 22 at theupper end of the air chamber to be discharged through the outlet end Ilinto the bottom of the well.

Due to the relative positions of the outlet opening I4 of the air pipei3 and the inlet port 22 of the air discharge pipe I6, within the airchamber 6, the air must circulate through said air chamber and aroundthe heating elements I8 before it is discharged through the outlet endl'i of the discharge pipe I 6. The heating elements I6 will function toheat the air as it passes through the air chamber, and such heated airwill be forced and circulated into any congealed accumulations ofpetroleum to thereby liquefy such congealations'and allow the latter tobe pumped from the well in the usual manner and increase the productionof the well so treated.

The casing l is preferably provided with a conically-shaped hood 23,which is detachably secured to the upper end of the casing and functionsto center the casing when the heater structure is withdrawn from thewell l0 with the pump tubing 9 for any reason, and thereby prevent theheater structure from striking any interruption in the wall of the wellduring the withdrawal operation. Y

The air discharge pipe I5 may be provided with an automatically operablecheck valve to prevent the entrance of petroleum through said dischargepipe into the air chamber 6 while the heater is inoperative. ofpetroleum into the air chamber will not interfere with the operation ofthe heater in the manner described.

The air pipe I3 may be connected to the pump tubing 9 by the removal ofthe cap 24 from said tubing, whereby the petroleum may be circulatedupwardly through the tubing and back into the well through the air pipe.Such circulation will act to liquefy congealations at the bottom of thewell.

The present invention provides a most economical and eiicient device ofits kind, which may be successfully employed for the purpose and in themanner herein set forth.

What I claim is:

1. A well heating apparatus ci the class described comprising thecombination with the pump tubing of the well, of an elongatedcylindrical casing, a top plug having a screw thread connection with theupper end of said casing, a bottom plug having a screw thread connectionwith the lower end of said casing, a partition secured in said casingand providing a comparatively large air chamber below said partition anda smaller compartment above said partition, the lower end of the pumptubing having a screw thread engagement in each of said plugs and insaid partition forv supporting the apparatus in the well, an air supplypipe extending into said air chamber'and having the out- However, suchentrance i ated-ias 4 let opening thereof disposed at the lower end ofsaid air chamber, an air compressor connected with said air supply pipeand being operable for forcing air into said air chamber through saidair supply pipe, an air Vdischarge pipe mounted in said bottom plug andextending into said air chamber and having the inlet opening thereofdisposed at the upper end of said air chamber, the lower end portion ofsaid discharge pipe projecting from the lower end of said casing andhaving the outlet opening thereof disposed at the lowerend of saidprojecting lower end portion, a plurality of electrically operatedheating elements mounted in said air chamber, an electric conductorhaving the lower end thereof secured in said top plug, a plurality ofleads connected with the lower end of said conductor and being housed insaid compartment and being connected with respective heating elements,an electric generator connected with said conductor and being operablefor energizing said heating elements for heating the air on' the passageof the latter through said air chamber, and a conically-shaped hoodsecured to the upper end of said casing.

2. A well heating apparatus of the class described comprising the'combination with the pump tubing ofthe well, of an elongatedcylindrical casing, a top'plug secured in the upper end of said casing,a bottom plug secured in the lower end of said casing, a partitionsecured in said casing and providing a comparatively large air chamberbelow said partition'and a smaller compartment above said partition, thelower end of the pump tubing attached in each of said lll v Number plugsvand in said partition for supporting the apparatus in the well, an airsupply pipe extending into said air chamber and having the outletopening thereof disposed at the lower end of said air chamber, an aircompressor connected with said air supply pipe and operable for4 forcingair into said air chamber through said air supply pipe, an` airdischarge pipe mounted in said bottom plug and extending into said airchamber and having the inlet opening thereof disposed at the upper endof said air chamber, the lower end portion of said dischargeV pipeprojecting from the lower end of said casing and having the outletthereof disposed at thelower end of said projecting lower end portion, aplurality of electrically operated heating elements mounted in said airchamber, an electric conductor having the lower end thereof securedinsaid top plug, a plurality of leads connected with the lower end of saidconductor housed in said compartment and connected with respectiveheating elements, an electric generator Aconnected with said conductoroperable for energizing said lheating elements for heating the air onthe passage of the latter through saidl air chamber, and aconically-shaped hood secured to the upper end of said casing. l

JOHN S. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,082,971 Pick Dec. 30, 1913 1,648,242Powell Nov. 8, 1927 1,661,971 Seymour Mar. 6, 1928 1,672,200 Buck June5, 19,28 1,839,632 Agnew Jan. 5, 19,32 2,076,669 Redfield et al. 'Aprz13, 1937

